AllEvents

AllEvents in your city

Popular cities

Thanksgiving Events in Washington 2026

Celebrate Thanksgiving 2026 in Washington with festive dinners, brunches, buffets, Turkey Trots, parades, family-friendly activities, Friendsgiving parties, holiday markets, volunteer opportunities, food drives, cruises, and seasonal events. Whether you're planning a traditional Thanksgiving feast or looking for unique things to do, discover the best Thanksgiving events happening in Washington.

See all events

You’re warmly invited

to

ThanksgivingDinner

Date
Thursday, November 26
Time
4:00 PM

β€œCome hungry and bring your stories. There’s always room at our table.”

With love,Your name

AllEvents

Invite your family to dinner

Fill it in, then send it.

Listings updated

Curated by the AllEvents team, for you

Top Thanksgiving events in Washington

All Thanksgiving events in Washington 2026

Fri, Nov 13The Garden at Dream Chasers Coffee Lab, Alexandria

Friendsgiving β€” A Furthermore Supper Club Gathering

A unique interactive paella Tasting experience. accompanied by traditional seasonal side, cravable desserts and custom drink experience. Furthermore Supper Club invites you to our Friendsgiving gathering,

5:00 PM

$87.21FriendsgivingLive music

Nov 13–14Wild Days2 days

A FRIENDSGIVING BASH

# A FRIENDSGIVING BASH πŸ₯‚ **Good friends. Good music. One BIG BASH.** Thanksgiving is around the corner, and we're getting the friends together a little early! All Good Friends x All Good Nights Nation are joining forces for **A Friendsgiving BASH**, br

9:00 PM

Friendsgiving

Sat, Nov 14SALAZAR

Grateful & Gay: A Sapphic Chosen Family Affair

Gather with your chosen familyβ€”or come find more! Join us for a sapphic celebration of good food, drinks, connection, creativity, and dancin Grateful & Gay: A Sapphic Chosen Family Affair <strong

4:00 PM

$15.52 – $21.18

Nov 14–21905 S Ann St, Baltimore8 days

V-No Thanksgiving Tasting Experience | A Two-Part Series

Discover your perfect Thanksgiving pour! Join V-No for a FREE two-part tasting featuring curated wines, handcrafted cocktails, and holiday i Sip, Savor & Celebrate Thanksgiving at V-No! The holid

6:00 PM

Free

Sat, Nov 14The Electric Palm, Woodbridge

The Chocolate Factory Band Pre-Thanksgiving Holiday Bash!!! @ The Electric Palm, Woodbridge, VA!!!

π‡π„π˜ ππ„π€π”π“πˆπ…π”π‹ ππ„πŽππ‹π„!!!! π–πžπžπžπžπžβ€™π«πž 𝐁𝐚𝐚𝐚𝐚𝐚𝐚𝐜𝐀!!!! That’s Right!!! The π‚π‡πŽπ‚πŽπ‹π€π“π„ π…π€π‚π“πŽπ‘π˜ 𝐁𝐀𝐍𝐃 πˆπ’ π‚πŽπŒπˆππ† π‡πŽπŒπ„ ππšπ›π²!!! Right back to where it all began 5 years ago 𝐓𝐇𝐄 π„π‹π„π‚π“π‘πˆπ‚ ππ€π‹πŒ!!! We haven’t hit The Palm all year

8:00 PM

Sun, Nov 15Pinstripes, North Bethesda

Friendsgiving

Join Wives & Wine for a Friendsgiving Girls’ Night Out at Pinstripes Bethesda! No hosting. No cooking. No cleaning up. Just wine, good food, good conversation and a room full of women who came to have a

4:00 PM

$23.18 – $33.85Friendsgiving

Tue, Nov 17Mess Hall

Blue Ribbon Pie Baking Class

Spend an evening with the DC State Fair leaders assembling and baking your very own pie to take home Celebrate the holiday season and support the DC State Fair in a sweet way with a pie workshop led by Magg

6:00 PM

$98.10

Wed, Nov 18Warehouse Cinemas Rotunda, Baltimore

Friendsgiving Wine Tasting at Warehouse Cinemas

Bring your favorite co-starsβ€”Friendsgiving is heading to the cinema. Wine Tasting- Movie Screening Get ready for an in-person experience where wine, friendship and movies come together! Ga

6:00 PM

Free – $7.18Friendsgiving

Thanksgiving table decor and hosting essentials

From the thermometer that saves the turkey to the tablecloth, the kids’ table and a hat for the Turkey Trot. Check delivery dates before you order.

Links go to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate, AllEvents earns from qualifying purchases.

Thanksgiving events near Washington

Turkey trots, dinners and parades in the towns nearby

Since 1621

The history of Thanksgiving

It began with a harvest. In the autumn of 1621, the Plymouth colonists and their Wampanoag neighbours shared three days of food in a good year. Nobody called it Thanksgiving then. It took two more centuries, a determined editor and a president in the middle of a war to turn it into the day we know: a Thursday in November for family, food and being grateful.

Most of what fills the day now came later. The parade, the football, the morning Turkey Trot and the long table of sides were added by one generation after another, which is why every family’s Thanksgiving looks a little different.

  1. 1621After their first harvest, the Plymouth colonists hold three days of feasting. Massasoit arrives with about 90 Wampanoag men, who bring five deer.
  2. 1789George Washington proclaims the first national day of thanksgiving, for Thursday, 26 November.
  3. 1846–63Sarah Josepha Hale, the magazine editor who wrote β€œMary Had a Little Lamb”, writes to five presidents asking for one national day.
  4. 1863In the middle of the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln makes the last Thursday of November a national Thanksgiving. It has been kept every year since.
  5. 1896Buffalo runs its first YMCA Turkey Trot, now the oldest footrace held every year in North America β€” a year older than the Boston Marathon.
  6. 1924Macy’s holds its first parade in New York, with animals from the Central Park Zoo. The giant balloons arrive in 1927.
  7. 1934The Detroit Lions play on Thanksgiving for the first time, and football becomes part of the afternoon.
  8. 1939–41Franklin Roosevelt moves the day a week earlier to lengthen the shopping season. People call it β€œFranksgiving”, so Congress fixes it for good: the fourth Thursday of November.
  9. 1957Canada settles on the second Monday of October for its own Thanksgiving, which goes back to 1578.
  10. 1989George H. W. Bush gives the first formal presidential turkey pardon, now a White House tradition.

Thanksgiving in Washington: frequently asked questions

When are Thanksgiving events in Washington in 2026?

Thanksgiving events in Washington run from Nov 12 to Nov 29, 2026: 100 events.

What is on in Washington on Thanksgiving Day?

17 events are listed for Thursday, November 26, including 32nd Annual Hot Rod Pie Run!, 2026 Burke Lake Turkey Trot 5k/10k and 2026 Drumstick Turkey Trot 5k/8Miler at Gravelly Point.

Where can I have Thanksgiving dinner in Washington?

8 dinners, brunches and buffets are listed, including 11th Annual Community Thanksgiving Celebration at Sharp Street Memorial United Methodist, Friendsgiving Soul food Dinner Party at Lake Presidential Golf Club and Progressive Friendsgiving Dinner on King Street! at South King Street. Tables go early for the holiday, so book ahead where you can.

Are there turkey trots in Washington?

Yes: 2026 Port City Turkey Trot 5k & 10k at Port City Brewing Company (Sat, Nov 21), 2026 DC Turkey Trot 5k/Half (Sun, Nov 22) and 2026 The District's Turkey Trot 5k/10k (Sun, Nov 22).

Where can I volunteer this Thanksgiving in Washington?

2026 DC Punk Rock Flea at Stephen & the Incarnation Episcopal Church is looking for helping hands.

Are there free Thanksgiving events in Washington?

Yes: 37 of the 100 listed are free, including FRIENDSGIVING TRIVIA: The One With All the Thanksgivings | Alamo Woodbridge at Alamo Drafthouse Cinema Woodbridge, FRIENDSGIVING TRIVIA: TOW All the Thanksgivings | Alamo Loudoun at Alamo Drafthouse Cinema One Loudoun and FRIENDSGIVING TRIVIA: TOW All the Thanksgivings | Alamo Crystal City at Alamo Drafthouse Cinema Crystal City. Tickets for the rest run from $7.18 to $1,219.

What are the best Thanksgiving events in Washington?

The most popular on AllEvents right now are Montgomery County Thanksgiving Parade (Sat, Nov 21), The Dunn Foundation Annual Free Turkey Giveaway Drive-Thru at Iverson Mall (Sat, Nov 21) and Goodwill's 69th Annual Thanksgiving Dinner and Resource Fair at The Baltimore Convention Center (Wed, Nov 25).

Are there Thanksgiving events near Washington?

Yes: 2 more events are listed within reach, in Baltimore and Arlington.

When is Thanksgiving 2026?

In the United States, Thursday, November 26, 2026 β€” always the fourth Thursday of November. Canada celebrates earlier, on Monday, October 12, the second Monday of October.

What is Friendsgiving?

A Thanksgiving meal shared with friends rather than family, usually on a day near the holiday. Many restaurants and bars host Friendsgiving dinners and parties, so you can skip the cooking.

Do I need to book Thanksgiving dinner in advance?

Yes, as early as you can. Restaurants serving a Thanksgiving menu often fill up a week or more ahead, and many offer a set menu at fixed seatings on the day.